Roadside Features Inventory Program

The Roadside Features Inventory Program (RFIP) is a corporate program for collecting, storing and reporting roadside features such as guardrails, culverts, signs, objects in clear zones, and other features from all WSDOT regions. This data is used for asset management, project and system design and overall system analysis.

Previously many individual business areas within WSDOT have collected similar information (i.e. utility poles, signs, guardrail, tree groupings, slope information...) independently of one another. This caused duplicate efforts and expense, which resulted in the data not being consistently stored in a corporate standard format that would allow shared use and maintenance of the data.

Because of the advancements in technology, GIS applications and the creation of the Roadside Features Inventory Program, WSDOT has combined this information and thus created a single source for data retrieval. The data is more accurate, the ability to analyze and maintain the data increases exponentially and it saves the agency time and money.

Project Benefits:

• Having consistent data definitions, values and formats throughout the department
• Having reliable data collection methods and procedures; we are able to maintain particular standards with minimal variation
• Increased the efficiency of project development through consistent data collection and reporting

Department Uses:

1. Maintenance: Uses the data to fulfill environmental requirements and inventory management
2. Program Management: Uses it to strategically spend safety, unstable slopes, and major electric and drainage dollars
3. Environmental: Regulatory compliance and inventory management
4. Utilities: Uses it for system wide safety analysis
5. Real Estate: Road approaches for access control

For further information please contact the Roadway Data Branch Manager, John Dunn at 360-570-2452.